How Long Do You Actually Go Between Timing Belt Service ?

So glad I can do it all my self, however even i am bloody sick of belts.
If its not the Ferrari tax it's the Ducati tax. Really got to get into chain driven machinery

 

Chains stretch too

 

In 35 years of driving and riding. Not once have I had problems with chains, not once. It's not the stretching, it's the threat of snapping that drives belt change. I don't hear about 430 guys having chain problems.
Besides, i am a bit to long in the tooth for that old chestnut mate

 

The timing chain on a Lincoln Continental I once owned broke. Chains do break, rarely, but it does happen.

 

I personally have a Mercedes and a Porsche that were laid up with valve / cam damage due to chains breaking.

A local friend has started buying / fixing / selling BMW's with chain issues. Book rate on this job is 40-50 hours to do the job, he's pretty much perfected it and buys the cars for next to nothing.

Ask any Audi tech about timing chains on the V8 engine that are mounted on the back of the motor. The local dealer in NE Wisconsin is handing out $10,000 estimate weekly to replace chains on those engines. This is on cars with less than 100,00 miles.

Don't get me started on Jaguars.

I'll take a timing belt any day over a chain system. They are less complex and easier to service. Even in a 355 with an engine out.

 

I am trying to cure the belt issue change so much
Just figurin a way to squeeze in this poly carbon fibre belt into the 355
Works really well on 5000+ hp cars so this 355 starter motor should be a winner


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Belt changed in 2005 at 12K miles car now has 17K miles and does not have any strange noises or leaks engine is run at regular intervals during storage period. Belt will get changed at the end of next year.

 

Yes that's correct, they rarely do. I have been stripping and building all kinds of engines for decades. Bottom line, chains are more reliable than belts full stop. ( though I bet some one will come on and try to argue the contrary).
But guys let's not ponder about some light comment I said with tongue in cheek about being sick of belts

 

Were as my CL55 has over 120k miles on it and that nor any other Merc or Porsche I have owned, or anyone I know with them have had problems with a chain.
No matter what, one will always get some example of something going bad.

 

6 years here on my 355...

Keep in mind the different belt configurations, the 348 has one long ass belt while 355 has 2 shorter. It seems like built up stretch in the 348 could cause more problems than on the shorter 355 belts.

Also important to take care of the belts to minimize risk of a problem...for northern cars, start them up over the winter frequently to keep the belts moving and not stretching locally in one position. Avoiding temperature extremes helps too (yes honey, I need a heated garage to save money on belt changes!)

 

I'm using that one!

 

You've taken the chain apart on your CL55 to verify it's still within spec and has not stretched?

The problem is, on modern cars the chain systems are very complex and very expensive to maintain (and they do require maintenance)

Audi's are being sold as salvage by upset owners due to issues with the chain system on their cars. These are vehicles that are still running, but the chains are loose due to the plastic guides wearing out (this is the primary problem with most chain systems).

Same for the BMW VANOS system. It's a fact the chain guides will wear out and it's a very time consuming & expensive repair. BMW V8's are not exactly rare engines......

See the attached photo, this is not some exotic engine from an R8, this is from an S6. These chains are inches away from the firewall.

No belt system on earth (including the 355) is worse than having to deal with this fiasco from Audi:


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Oh god, what ever
So ok a cars timing belt is more reliable than a timing chain. Happy
And why the f##k would i want to remove the engine from my CL just to check the bloody specs of the chain man? Get a grip.

 

Chill, Dino - just a friendly discussion. I guess I should have not mentioned it.

 

Yea all this bullsiht because i said the above tongue in cheek.
Yea i am chilled mate

 

I am really loving my 355 more then ever. It's so simple to work on for just about anything

 

Im sure I have passed all 355 previous mileage on belts,
I was shooting for 100k but the Headers failed on me...

My 355 went 55K miles on the same Belt-Bearings-water pump.
When we dropped the engine at 77 K the Bearing seal was leaking

I have gone 100K miles x 4 belts on my Accord = I now have passed the 400 THOUSAND mile marker

 

I had to do a timing belt change and head swap on my A6 after a lobe on the camshaft wore off (Known issue). I'd like to find the engineer who designed that car and kick him straight in the butt.

 

IMO this is excellent distilled opinion from Jay.....I refer to the belts and not his appeal for a heated garage!

 

In the last few years, timing chains have been introduced by European car makers (VW group is the worst) that stretch quite bad!
I have changed chains at 10k miles/2 years (worst ones) that are so stretched that on startup they rattle badly and some have even hit the chain covers!

It is Not uncommon to have chain issues at 60k miles on a lot of euro cars these days.

Vw have gone away from chains, and back to belts on their newest engine designs!

 

Wow this has taken a hard turn, I still would like to know if anyone on here has had an experience with a belt breaking or knows someone first hand that experienced this? I wonder of all the 355's built how many of them have had belts break..street driven cars that is

 

My dealer said 5 years but you can get away with 6. According to him it's the time, mileage isn't an issue (I have 27k on my current belt)

 

I had 430,000 miles on my 1991 accord before the timing belt slipped.

 

This thread proves my point that the answers are all over the place and a lot of times not relevant. I say follow the FNA guidelines that if I'm not mistaken is every 5 years (time wise). Only straight answer you will get... dont ask what oil to use or best operating temp either you wont get a straight answer everyone will argue whats best for awhile then BAM they start talking air pressure in tires or something else non relevant...go by FNA guidelines. This is my opinion of course. I have asked twice on this thread if anyone has had a belt break or met someone this has happened to. All I heard back was crickets. This makes me tend to believe that if my car is running right and has no leaks or problems that at 41k I'm going to wait until 65K because belt breakage is not common...my 2 cents

 

Lol!! 😛 you crack me up Randy. Do a search. And, FNA is 3 years. I have the bulitten but my iPads now loading for some reason.